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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145724">Between the Glass and Your Hand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemichin/pseuds/Gemichin'>Gemichin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Romeo x Juliet au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Romeo x Juliet AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:49:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemichin/pseuds/Gemichin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Their eyes meet between the glass</p><p>They swear they can feel the warmth between their hands</p><p>The deep longing to know your name</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Izumi Mitsuki/Rokuya Nagi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Romeo x Juliet au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994677</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Between the Glass and Your Hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This entire thing came to be after I was inspired by some lovely fanart from my dear friend Cylust</p><p>Plus I love Romeo x Juliet so that's a bonus too</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stifling and uncomfortable, the ceaseless cacophony of the band’s attempts at proper tunes for the setting combined with the chatter of the party attendees blended together into a deafening white noise. It was painful on the ears, yet the majority of the guests were far too inebriated to notice or care. The few sober ones that remained busied themselves with conversation, aiding to the grating sound. It was anything but pleasant, despite how the nobles that put together this event had deemed it necessary to find and celebrate their half-hearted attempts at matchmaking. The method was stale by now, regardless of how those of the older generations continued their broken record speeches of praise for continuing the tradition. Yet it didn’t seem to matter how much Izumi Mitsuki rebelled whenever he vehemently refused to participate in any of the galas that were thrown with hopes of a suitor being found that would take his hand. For all of his protests, his family would simply laugh it off, call him foolish and indecisive, or even make up their own excuses for his stubborn behaviour as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.</p><p>“The right suitor just hasn’t been found yet.”</p><p>“He may just be tired today.”</p><p>“He is still at that age.”</p><p>The excuses that were spat out for him, with no regards to what he himself might have wanted to say, made his blood boil beneath his skin. For the sake of his family name, he dare not open his mouth, but it didn’t stop him from staying glued to the far wall with his arms crossed and staring at the marbled floor of the ballroom with the most scathing of scowls on his face. This was his usual song and dance during these hated gatherings and, for the most part he supposed, the general actions kept those who dared to approach him at bay. To the few who foolishly assumed that persistence would be their key to winning his favour, they were met with a glare of contempt before their existence was ignored entirely. This served to weed out most of those who tried to linger behind, yet even still Mitsuki found himself suffering to the ramblings of a noble who resembled a fox far too well for his comfort. He wasn’t even paying half a mind of attention to whatever the man was spouting off, only barely recognising the man’s attempts to sell off his son as if he were listing bidding prices at an auction.</p><p>The thought made his stomach turn and, in a display of discomfort, he covered his mouth as if he were to be ill. The display seemed to work, the fox-like noble asked if Mitsuki was well, yet the tone in his voice was so artificially saccharine and thickly sweet that Mitsuki did actually wonder if he would get sick.</p><p>Still, Mitsuki smiled and passed off his unwanted guest’s concerns, however fake and dramatic they sounded.</p><p>“I’m sure I’m just tired. Excuse me while I go wash my face. I don’t think I’ll ever grow used to these parties.”</p><p>Smoothly ducking away from his unwanted companion, Mitsuki wove himself in between the crowds of costumed patrons until he finally found reprieve in one of the bathrooms. Exhaling heavily at the sound of the door locking securely behind him, he felt as if he could breathe for the first time that entire night. He felt his knees weaken and he slumped slightly against the door. The angel wings that were strapped to the back of his costume bent uncomfortably and when Mitsuki glanced over his shoulder to look at them, he frowned in his discontent.</p><p>“Really… A costume party of all things.”</p><p>Mitsuki was forced to give his family a little bit of credit. They were trying quite honestly to appease their son in their fervent wish for him to find a suitor. At first they had an arranged marriage lined up for him: the first (and only) son of the well renowned Osaka family.  If Mitsuki were to be honest, he wouldn’t have opposed the match up if it was his only option. Osaka Sougo was pleasant company and their conversations, as formal as they were, were interesting if nothing else. Mitsuki had, quite frankly, concluded at the time that he could find a relatively comfortable peace in marrying his potential pairing.</p><p>Ah, but how naïve he had been.</p><p>He could still remember the disgustingly bitter sting that stabbed at him when the head of the Osaka family had come alone, bowing his head in shameful guilt when he had to report that his “disgrace of a son” had eloped with some devil of a boy that was a street dancer. However, the disgusted sting that threatened to rip Mitsuki’s spine apart wasn’t directed at Sougo, nor even the boy he had run off with.</p><p>No, that wretched feeling that settled heavily in his stomach was directed at himself. To think he had been so complacent, so pulled along on strings like a puppet that he would mindlessly permit himself to having ignored every sign of his once potential suitor’s discomfort at his situation. Looking back on all of their prior meetings, Mitsuki was ashamed of himself for having missed those small details in order to blindly allow his parents to drag him as they wished. If he could ever meet Osaka Sougo again, he would beg for his forgiveness and wish him all the happiness in the world with the one he truly wanted to be with.</p><p>But that had also set the course for Mitsuki’s vehement refusal at every future attempt made by his family to find him a suitor. His rebellion to their pressuring only became more solidified when his parents went as far as to harshly scold him for going against their wishes.</p><p>“We’re doing what’s best for you and this family.”</p><p>That line had gotten old fast and Mitsuki knew well that it had little to do with him and far more to do with the appearance of his family’s social status.</p><p>Status be damned.</p><p>The mere thought of it had Mitsuki balling his hands into white knuckled fists against the countertop of the bathroom. He’d thought it best to live without any status whatsoever if it meant that he would have the choice of whom he wanted to court, or to even not court anyone at all if that was his wish. And that option was looking far more appealing.</p><p>Exhaling heavily in order to calm his pounding heart, Mitsuki splashed some cold water on his face and stared at his tired expression in the decorated mirror before drying his face with a towel and steeling himself to return to the party. However, a blur of movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, stopping him in his steps and drawing his gaze to the massive fish tank that was set into the wall that separated the bathroom he was in from the one directly beside it. Walking up to the fish tank, the gentle blue hue that lit up the tank cast a soft luminescence on his features, reflecting in his eyes and he became momentarily distracted by the colourful fish that swam lazily about. Placing a hand against the glass of the tank, Mitsuki silently followed the aimless patterns of the fish as his mind began to wander.</p><p>However, his attention was quickly snapped back when a movement outside of the fish tank caught Mitsuki’s eyes and he found himself staring at a taller, blonde haired young man dressed in a knight’s costume who appeared as equally distracted by the fish as he had been. Mitsuki blinked as he watched the young man’s beautiful eyes of a crystal clear blue shift their focus from the fish he’d been watching to Mitsuki’s hand that still remained rested against his side of the glass before finally lifting his gaze to meet Mitsuki’s eyes. Mitsuki felt his chest seize, his eyes widening slightly as he was captured in the sapphire blue sea of the young man’s eyes, made only more beautiful thanks to the soft glow from the light of the fish tank.</p><p>It took him a moment to even realise how beautiful the young man was, given how captured he had been in his stare alone. A high raised nose, well defined cheekbones that curved into a strong yet subtly thin jawline and lips that looked soft and matched the rest of his unfairly beautiful features. Mitsuki could nearly swear he was looking at a painting if the young man didn’t blink and shift in his stance. The young man seemed just as entranced as he kept his gaze locked with Mitsuki’s and out of the aristocrat’s peripheral vision, he caught movement of the blonde’s hand raising and pressing his palm against the glass in the same position that Mitsuki’s was still in. Blinking, Mitsuki broke his stare to glance at where their hands met on their respective sides of the glass before raising his eyes again to meet the young man’s soft gaze. Watching the blonde blink in tandem, Mitsuki’s heart stuttered when he watched the young man’s lips raise into an ethereal smile so soft, it felt as if it were being directed at a lover.</p><p>The encroaching thought had Mitsuki reeling immediately, a heat burning beneath his cheeks that forced him to quickly pull his hand back as if he had touched a burning coal and stumble a step or two away from the tank. The blur of movement no doubt startled his charming stranger and Mitsuki caught the shift in the blonde’s expression as his smile faded and his brows furrowed slightly in minute confusion. Mitsuki watched as the stranger pulled his own hand away from the tank and took a slight step back and Mitsuki knew dangerously well how the burning in his temples was making itself known in a dark shade of rouge against his skin. There was no doubt that his charming stranger could see his blush and Mitsuki was about ready to bolt out of the bathroom to avoid being seen in such a manner any longer.</p><p>His legs, however, refused to move and Mitsuki cursed the tremor in his knees as he desperately darted his gaze to look at anything but the young man. His attempts failed when a second blur of movement brought his attention back to the fish tank as he watched the blonde hesitantly turn his attention away from Mitsuki to a second person that had barged into the bathroom. Another young man with messily styled hair of a dark forest green shade and sharp forest eyes behind a pair of eyeglasses, donning a costume that resembled a priest from a monastery; it was evident that he knew the blonde by the voiceless but quick exchange between the two before the costumed priest was grabbing the charming stranger by the arm and attempting to drag him out of the bathroom. Mitsuki could only blink in puzzled awe as the blonde kept darting his startled gaze between him and his companion before stumbling over his feet, giving Mitsuki one final, chest tightening smile before his companion successfully yanked him out of the bathroom.</p><p>Mitsuki stood frozen for a moment, merely staring wide eyed at the after image before he became rather painfully aware that his charming stranger was now indeed gone and he was now alone. Inhaling a sharp breath and gripping the front of his costume against his chest, Mitsuki all but darted out of the bathroom and frantically began looking through the stifling sea of party attendees for that striking head of blonde hair. He could feel his heartbeat stammering in his chest, the rapid beating in his ears as he scanned the endless crowd and he released a heavy breath when he felt the disappointment settle on his shoulders that the charming stranger was nowhere in sight. Exhaling again, Mitsuki’s hands dropped to his sides as his gaze fell to the floor.</p><p>Weakly, he laughed to himself.</p><p>“I didn’t even ask his name… Hell, I didn’t even talk to him…”</p><p>With a resigned shrug of his shoulders, Mitsuki suddenly felt exhaustion drape over him like a blanket. The sensation was uncomfortable and all too aware had he become that all he wanted to do was retreat to his bedroom and sleep. Making one final yet futile effort, Mitsuki looked around to see if that head of blonde hair could be found before beginning to weave his way through the party goers until he reached the edge of the ballroom that connected to the hallway where his bedroom lay. Looking over his shoulder at the party that continued on, the cool rush of air from the empty hallway against his face was a pleasant reprieve from the stifling air of body heat within the ballroom that made Mitsuki feel uncomfortably sticky.</p><p>This is enough for now, he thought, but before he could get very far down the empty hallway, the clicking of heels against the marbled flooring behind him stopped him from continuing.</p><p>“Nii-san?”</p><p>Turning around at the familiar call, Mitsuki locked gazes with deeply rich ocean blue eyes, concern set firm in their hue. Mitsuki laughed, the sound coming out as far more nervous than he wanted it to.</p><p>“Iori… You startled me for a sec there.”</p><p>The expression on his beloved little brother’s face didn’t change, not that Mitsuki expected it to. Iori knew well how much Mitsuki despised these gatherings, yet he stood firm to the custom. Mitsuki never blamed him for that, rather admiring Iori’s resolve when his own constantly wavered.</p><p>“Where are you going? The ball isn’t over yet…”</p><p>Mitsuki smiled sheepishly, knowing this exchange like clockwork. Iori hated seeing his brother so torn, yet tradition forced him to push the subject despite the ending always being the same. Iori’s shoulders dropped and Mitsuki felt the familiar bite of guilt start to gnaw at him.</p><p>“Nii-san…”</p><p>The quiet of Iori’s voice had Mitsuki shaking his head, stopping him from speaking any more. He smiled, his lips turned up with an apology at the edges, but he wouldn’t speak it.</p><p>“You know I can’t, Iori.”</p><p>“But, Nii-san--”</p><p>Mitsuki shook his head again, listening to Iori sigh as the rest of his sentence died on his tongue.</p><p>“I know, Iori, but I can’t. Mom and Dad will have to stop denying it at some point and even if they don’t, I won’t change my mind.”</p><p>“They’re worried about you.”</p><p>“They’re worried about the wrong things.”</p><p>Iori opened his mouth, a protest against his lips, but it fell silent and he pursed his lips in frustration. Mitsuki felt the guilt chew at him harder; he hated to see his dear younger brother suffer at his expense, knowing that Iori was torn between wanting to support his elder brother and respecting their beloved parents’ wishes. Mitsuki genuinely agonised watching Iori struggle in this manner.</p><p>But he would not apologise for his choice, and Iori knew that better than anyone.</p><p>After a moment, Iori spoke once more.</p><p>“Are you retiring for the night? Will you come back?”</p><p>Mitsuki hummed, rolling his shoulders and listening to the joints crack. Exhaling, he offered Iori as much of a smile as he could muster.</p><p>“Maybe, I am honestly really tired. Wearing these heels hasn’t helped either, my ankles hurt like you wouldn’t believe.”</p><p>Iori breathed a laugh at that, nodding in understanding.</p><p>“Alright, I can’t fight that. I’ll tell Mom and Dad that you’re soaking your feet.”</p><p>Mitsuki smiled, grateful for Iori’s willingness to cooperate.</p><p>Watching as Iori disappeared back into the sea of attendees, Mitsuki turned and continued down the hallway. As the sounds of the party faded, the click of his shoes became more prominent in his ears. When the sounds from the ballroom had become nothing more than white noise, Mitsuki stopped walking. An uneasiness pressed heavily on his shoulders, making his exhaustion far more noticeable. His eyes felt heavy and he stumbled slightly to the adjacent window, clinging onto the windowsill for support before his legs gave out. Clicking open the latches, Mitsuki pushed the window open, climbing clumsily onto the stone balcony that was attached. Gripping the carved stone railing, Mitsuki sank to his knees as he deeply inhaled the fresh night air to offset the dizziness that made his head swim. His chest felt constricted, a cold sweat against his brow and Mitsuki grit his teeth to combat the tremors that threatened to rock him. His hands trembled and Mitsuki silently cursed his weak resolve.</p><p>“Get it together… Get it together, Mitsuki…!”</p><p>Mitsuki hissed the words like a mantra, soaking them into his skin and shivered when they ran along his spine. He was distracted enough not to notice the rustling from the garden below, the sound distant to his ears as his heartbeat thundered against his ear drums and it was only when he heard faintly the sound of twigs snapping beneath someone’s steps did Mitsuki slowly open his eyes that had been clenched shut. His vision out of focus, he blinked as a familiar blur of colour splashed into his field of view.</p><p>A striking blonde.</p><p>Gasping, Mitsuki all but jumped to his feet, his heart in his throat as his eyes locked with rich sapphires melting in moonlight. The shining knight he’d seen through the lit glass of the fish tank now stood below him, staring up at him wordlessly, those eyes glancing upon Mitsuki with nothing less than absolute reverence. A million words crashed in his mind, not one of them reaching his lips as he remained captivated within the stranger’s gaze. The charming stranger didn’t seem pressed for words either, simply keeping Mitsuki’s eyes locked with his own and Mitsuki felt his knees weaken when the blonde’s lips curved into that shatteringly beautiful smile once again. Mitsuki felt his cheeks burn, not daring to look away a second time.</p><p>
  <em> I want to talk to him… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I want to hear his voice… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I want to know his name… </em>
</p><p>The fleeting moment was all too quickly torn to pieces when Mitsuki saw movement from the brush beside the blonde. Emerging from the bushes was the charming stranger’s companion, irritation wrinkling his brows as he grabbed his arm.</p><p>“What are you doing…?! We have to go…!”</p><p>Mitsuki heard the glasses adorning young man hiss the words in the night, blinking when he watched him start yanking the charming stranger away once again. But this time, if anything, was Mitsuki’s chance, one that he wasn’t going to let slip by a second time. The blonde had given the aristocrat another look over his shoulder as his friend proceeded to pull him along and Mitsuki took a firmer grip of the balcony’s railing. Leaning forward slightly, he forced himself to speak.</p><p>“Wait… Please, wait…!”</p><p>Watching as the two of them ceased their steps, the blonde turned and captured Mitsuki’s eyes, his friend having paused in his attempt at dragging him away. Mitsuki could feel his temples burning and he cursed the embarrassment to hell and back. Swallowing thickly, he let his pride fall to pieces as he refused to look away.</p><p>“Your name… What is your name…?”</p><p>The stranger blinked and the pause had Mitsuki’s heart stammering, threatening to break out of his chest and he felt a chill begin to crawl along his spine. The chill, however, was swept away when the blonde smiled, turning to face Mitsuki directly, pulling away from his irked companion momentarily.</p><p>“Nagi.”</p><p>The word fell from his lips like honey, sweet on his tongue and Mitsuki breathed it in as he kept his hands on the railing for support.</p><p>“And, yours?”</p><p>The question startled Mitsuki slightly and he hesitated before leaning forward again and steeling his resolve.</p><p>“Mitsuki.”</p><p>Mitsuki watched as Nagi inhaled slightly, in the moonlight he could still see the faint dusting of pink on his temples and Nagi then smiled in such a manner that nearly made Mitsuki’s legs give out. An expression of pure adoration, as if looking at the love of his life, Nagi’s eyes were too honest as he breathed out Mitsuki’s name just loud enough that Mitsuki could just faintly hear it on the wind.</p><p>Still, it was enough that Mitsuki crumpled to his knees, unable to stay standing. Only barely did the voice of Nagi’s companion reach his ears, urging once again that they needed to depart immediately and the fading sound of their retreat gave way to the silence of the night. For a time, Mitsuki remained crouched where he was, hearing only the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.</p><p>Light on his tongue, spun sugar against his lips, the name tumbled from Mitsuki’s mouth and he minutely wondered if he had been unwittingly cursed by a devil, or had been told the best thing he had ever heard in his life.</p><p>“Nagi…”</p>
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